GENERAL INFORMATION

Although primarily renowned the world over for its eponymous beef, Kōbe is a city of many attractions. Situated between the sea and the Rokkō mountain range, Kōbe is home to a deep-water harbor, and has since antiquity been a thriving port town. In more modern times it has become famous for its fashion and food, and has been named as one of the world's "25 Most Beautiful Cities" in addition to one of the "Top 5 Most Livable Cities". With its natural views, infrastructure, and safe neighborhoods, Kōbe is truly a city Japan can be proud of.

When speaking of the history of Magic in Japan, Kōbe occupies a position of legend. The city has hosted six Grands Prix and two Pro Tours, many of which have carved a place in the history books. Grand Prix Kōbe 2001, featuring Invasion Block Constructed, had 1350 players, the first sanctioned event to boast over 1000 participants, a record it kept for many years. At Pro Tour Kōbe 2004, highlighting Mirrodin Block Constructed, local resident Masashiro Kuroda bet it all on red and became the first Japanese player to finally win a Pro Tour.

This year, as Kōbe readies itself to hold its seventh Grand Prix, is sure to see even larger and more spectacular clashes between planeswalkers. And not just on paper—Grand Prix Kōbe 2015 will see a fabulous cosplay event, starring none other than the famous Christine Sprankle!

Entry into the Grand Prix event venue is free of charge.

Main Event Registration Fee: ¥7000Main Event Maximum Capacity is 2,700PlayersRegistration online until November 18
Registration will be held on-site Friday, November 20 from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Subject to availability)
There will be no on-site registration on Saturday.

Many Grand Prix offer additional services to participants, such as Sleep-In Specials and VIP packages. Sleep-In Specials allow players with byes to skip the player meeting on Saturday and arrive shortly before their first round begins. VIP packages provide various perks such as complimentary bottled water, special seating, and exclusive artist signings. Details of these services vary from event to event; please check the organizer's web site for specifics.

Players can earn tournament byes for the Grand Prix Kobe main event on Saturday by meeting the appropriate Planeswalker Point thresholds by November 18 or by winning a Grand Prix Trial that awards byes to this event.

For more information on the number of byes you can earn for this event and how to earn them, click here.

Along with the main event, there are additional side-event tournaments to play in at a Grand Prix. Side events are offered at all Grand Prix on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. For details on side events that you can find at every Grand Prix, click here.

A list of additional events and a full schedule for when side events take place can be found on the Grand Prix Kobe website. All side events (except casual events) will have a Planeswalker Points multiplier of 3x.

Some of the hottest and most famous artists in Magic will be joining us at Grand Prix Kobe. All artists will be available to sign cards, playmats, and more. In addition, all will be selling prints, artist proofs, original art/sketches, and doing custom alterations of mats and cards!

Artists scheduled to appear at Grand Prix Kobe include Chris Rahn and rk post. For more information on these artists, click here

Kōbe is a major transport hub, accessible by plane, car, and train. For details on how to reach the tournament venue, please see the Kōbe Convention Center's Access Guide .

PROMOTIONAL ITEMS

Get your promo card by playing in the Grand Prix (while supplies last).
Players who register for the main event by September 9 will receive an event-exclusive UltraPRO playmat featuring the art from Oran-Rief Hydra by Chris Rahn.​

Registration for the Grand Prix main event closes Friday night. There will be no Saturday registration.

The main tournament at Grand Prix Kobe is open to Magic players of all ages.

Players must have a signed waiver and consent form to compete at Grand Prix Kobe. Forms can be downloaded here and will be available on-site. Minors must have a parent or guardian’s signature on these forms. Minors will not be able to register or play unless we receive a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. No exceptions.

Day One will consist of 9 Swiss rounds. Day Two will consist of 6 Swiss rounds and the Top 8 single-elimination finals.

All players with an X-2-0 record (or better) or the top 64 players – whichever is greater – advance to the second day of competition for prizes and invitations.

The Top 8 players after the final Swiss round on Day Two will advance to the Top 8 single-elimination playoff.

Top 8 playoff matches will be best 2 of 3.

Top 8 playoff matches will have no time limit. (Players are still expected to play at a normal pace and complete playoff matches in a reasonable amount of time.)

Standings after the Swiss rounds will be used to determine final order in the standings for losing players in the quarterfinal and semifinal playoff rounds.

For the first game of each match in the Top 8, the player that finished higher in the Swiss rounds chooses either to play first or to play second. For subsequent games in each Top 8 match, the usual Play/Draw rule applies (loser of the previous game decides whether to play first in the next game).

Judges

Judges interested in applying for the event should do so using the Judge Center.

Notes

Planeswalker Points multiplier 8x, Rules Enforcement Level (REL) is Competitive on Day One and Professional on Day Two.

Players are responsible for bringing their own method of tracking life totals, card sleeves, and appropriate counters or tokens.

In the event that a player who wins an invitation to a Pro Tour stop at a Grand Prix has already qualified for an invitation, the invitation does not pass down under any circumstances. Previous qualification may be through a Qualifier tournament, through performance at a professional tournament, or by being an invited DCI player (valid upon the date of the official rank announcement for the appropriate professional tournament).

PRIZE STRUCTURE

*If Grand Prix attendance is 1,200-2,399 participants, prize money will be paid out to 100th place. If Grand Prix attendance is 2,400-3,599 participants, prize money will be paid out to 150th place. If Grand Prix attendance is 3,600 or more participants, prize money will be paid out to 230th place.

Attendance at a Grand Prix is calculated on participation, not preregistration. The Tournament Organizer will announce GP attendance as soon as this is confirmed. Tournament attendance and standing are subject to review by Wizards of the Coast before being finalized.

Top 8 finishers also earn invitations and airfare to Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch February 5-7, 2016.

In addition, all players with 39 match points or greater at the end of the event will receive an invitation to Pro Tour Oath of the Gatewatch February 5-7, 2016.

All prizes displayed in U.S. dollars. Prizes subject to change.

Place

Pro Point

1

8

2

6

3-4

5

5-8

4

Top 8 players receive Pro Points based on rank. All other players receive Pro Points based on their match point total at the end of the event.

Match Points

Pro Points

39+

4

36-38

3

33-35

2

30-32

1

0-29

0

TOURNAMENT BYES

Byes earned through Planeswalker Points are calculated using the Planeswalker Point totals from all reported events as of the Wednesday immediately before the Grand Prix. Points earned in tournaments held at the Grand Prix event site do not count toward earned byes at that Grand Prix.

Winners of a Grand Prix Trial tournament are awarded two byes in the Grand Prix that it feeds. Trial byes are not cumulative with other byes and do not pass down. Byes are not cumulative throughout the season or year. Byes do not pass down under any circumstances. Players who accumulate multiple byes to a particular Grand Prix tournament receive only the bye for the greatest number of rounds. For complete information about Grand Prix byes and their corresponding competitive season, please check the Magic: The Gathering Premier Event Invitation Policy.

"Foiled Again"
A straight Swiss tournament lasting three or four rounds. Participants get one past promo card for playing, then one additional promo card per match win. Format varies by event.

Value Drafts
Enjoy a special discount on pick-up drafts on Saturday. Actual times and prices vary by event.

"Rebound" Event
Format at organizer's discretion. The winner(s) earn free entry into the "Super Sunday Series" (see Sunday Side Events). Players who also played in the main Grand Prix tournament will get a discount for entry.

Super Sunday Series
Qualifier tournaments for the Super Sunday Series will be held at each Grand Prix. The Top 8 players in the Super Sunday Series qualifier will each be awarded a commemorative Grand Prix water bottle. The winner of the Super Sunday Series qualifier will earn an invitation and travel award for the Super Sunday Series Championship 2016, expected to be held in January 2016 in Seattle. The Super Sunday Series Championship experience also includes a tour of Wizards of the Coast, dinner with Wizards employees, and more.

ARTIST INFORMATION

Chris Rahn

Chris was born in San Francisco and spent his first seven years in the Bay area until his family moved to a small town in rural Washington state. The one thing that always drew his interest though was creating creatures and places that just couldn’t exist; monsters, mutants, aliens, etc. He has created the art for iconic Magic cards such as Ajani Steadfast and Blightsteel Colossus.